3
These ten times have ye reproached me:
ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.
4
And be it indeed that I have erred,
mine error remaineth with myself.
5
If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach;
6
know now that God hath overthrown me,
and hath compassed me with his net.
7
Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard:
I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.
8
He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass,
and he hath set darkness in my paths.
9
He hath stripped me of my glory,
and taken the crown from my head.
1 0
He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.
1 1
He hath also kindled his wrath against me,
and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.
1 2
His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.
13
He hath put my brethren far from me,
and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
14
My kinsfolk have failed,
1 1 6 0
J o b
1 9
and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
1 5
They that dwell in mine house, and my maids,
count me for a stranger:
I am an alien in their sight.
1 6
I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I entreated him with my mouth.
1 7
My breath is strange to my wife,
though I entreated for the children’s sake of mine own body.
1 8
Yea, young children despised me;
I arose, and they spake against me.
19
All my inward friends abhorred me:
and they whom I loved are turned against me.
2 0
My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh,
and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
2 1
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
2 2
Why do ye persecute me as God,
and are not satisfied with my flesh?
23
Oh that my words were now written!
Oh that they were printed in a book!
2 4
That they were graven with an iron pen and lead
in the rock for ever!
2 5
For I know that my Redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 2 6
and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
2 7
whom I shall see for myself,
and mine eyes shall behold, and not another;
though my reins be consumed within me.
2 8
But ye should say, Why persecute we him,
seeing the root of the matter is found in me?
29
Be ye afraid of the sword:
for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.
1 1 6 1
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2 0
20
Zophar Depicts the Portion of the Wicked
1
Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2
Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer,
and for this I make haste.
3
I have heard the check of my reproach,
and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
4
Knowest thou not this of old,
since man was placed upon earth,
5
that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
6
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens,
and his head reach unto the clouds;
7
yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8
He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9
The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
1 0
His children shall seek to please the poor,
and his hands shall restore their goods.
1 1
His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
1 2
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth,
though he hide it under his tongue;
13
though he spare it, and forsake it not,
but keep it still within his mouth;
14
yet his meat in his bowels is turned,
it is the gall of asps within him.
1 5
He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
1 6
He shall suck the poison of asps:
the viper’s tongue shall slay him.
1 1 6 2
J o b
2 0
1 7
He shall not see the rivers,
the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
1 8
That which he labored for shall he restore,
and shall not swallow it down:
according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.
19
Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away a house which he builded not.
2 0
Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
2 1
There shall none of his meat be left;
therefore shall no man look for his goods.
2 2
In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
23
When he is about to fill his belly,
God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.
2 4
He shall flee from the iron weapon,
and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
2 5
It is drawn, and cometh out of the body;
yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
2 6
All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him;
it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.
2 7
The heaven shall reveal his iniquity;
and the earth shall rise up against him.
2 8
The increase of his house shall depart,
and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.
1 1 6 3
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2 1
21
Job Asserts the Prosperity of the Wicked
1
But Job answered and said,
2
Hear diligently my speech,
and let this be your consolations.
3
Suffer me that I may speak;
and after that I have spoken, mock on.
4
As for me, is my complaint to man?
And if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?
5
Mark me, and be astonished,
and lay your hand upon your mouth.
6
Even when I remember I am afraid,
and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.
7
Wherefore do the wicked live,
become old, yea, are mighty in power?
8
Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
9
Their houses are safe from fear,
neither is the rod of God upon them.
1 0
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not;
their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
1 1
They send forth their little ones like a flock,
and their children dance.
1 2
They take the timbrel and harp,
and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
13
They spend their days in wealth,
and in a moment go down to the grave.
14
Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us;
for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
1 5
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
1 6
Lo, their good is not in their hand:
the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
1 1 6 4
J o b
2 1
1 7
How oft is the candle of the wicked put out!
And how oft cometh their destruction upon them!
God distributeth sorrows in his anger.
1 8
They are as stubble before the wind,
and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
19
God layeth up his iniquity for his children:
he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
2 0
His eyes shall see his destruction,
and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
2 1
For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
2 2
Shall any teach God knowledge?
seeing he judgeth those that are high.
23
One dieth in his full strength,
being wholly at ease and quiet.
2 4
His breasts are full of milk,
and his bones are moistened with marrow.
2 5
And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
2 6
They shall lie down alike in the dust,
and the worms shall cover them.
2 7
Behold, I know your thoughts,
and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.
2 8
For ye say, Where is the house of the prince?
And where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
29
Have ye not asked them that go by the way?
And do ye not know their tokens,
3 0
that the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction?
They shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.
3 1
Who shall declare his way to his face?
And who shall repay him what he hath done?
3 2
Yet shall he be brought to the grave,
and shall remain in the tomb.
3 3
The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him,
1 1 6 5
J o b
2 2
as there are innumerable before him.
3 4
How then comfort ye me in vain,
seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?
22
Eliphaz Accuses Job of Great Wickedness
1
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2
Can a man be profitable unto God,
as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
3
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous?
Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4
Will he reprove thee for fear of thee?
Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5
Is not thy wickedness great?
and thine iniquities infinite?
6
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honorable man dwelt in it.
9
Thou hast sent widows away empty,
and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
1 0
Therefore snares are round about thee,
and sudden fear troubleth thee;
1 1
or darkness, that thou canst not see;
and abundance of waters cover thee.
1 2
Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13
And thou sayest, How doth God know?
Can he judge through the dark cloud?
14
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
1 1 6 6
J o b
2 2
1 5
Hast thou marked the old way
which wicked men have trodden?
1 6
which were cut down out of time,
whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
1 7
which said unto God, Depart from us:
and what can the Almighty do for them?
1 8
Yet he filled their houses with good things:
but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19
The righteous see it, and are glad:
and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
2 0
Whereas our substance is not cut down,
but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
2 1
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace:
thereby good shall come unto thee.
2 2
Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth,
and lay up his words in thine heart.
23
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
2 4
Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust,
and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
2 5
Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense,
and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
2 6
For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
2 7
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
2 8
Thou shalt also decree a thing,
and it shall be established unto thee:
and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
29
When men are cast down,
then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
3 0
He shall deliver the island of the innocent:
and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
1 1 6 7
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2 3
23
Job Desires to Plead His Case before God
1
Then Job answered and said,
2
Even today is my complaint bitter:
my stroke is heavier than my groaning.
3
Oh that I knew where I might find him!
That I might come even to his seat!
4
I would order my cause before him,
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5
I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.
6
Will he plead against me with his great power?
No; but he would put strength in me.
7
There the righteous might dispute with him;
so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
8
Behold, I go forward, but he is not there;
and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
9
on the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him:
he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
1 0
but he knoweth the way that I take:
when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
1 1
My foot hath held his steps,
his way have I kept, and not declined.
1 2
Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
13
But he is in one mind, and who can turn him?
And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
14
For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.
1 5
Therefore am I troubled at his presence:
when I consider, I am afraid of him.
1 6
For God maketh my heart soft,
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2 4
and the Almighty troubleth me:
1 7
because I was not cut off before the darkness,
neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.
24
Job Complains of God’s Indifference to Wickedness 1
Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
2
Some remove the landmarks;
they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
3
They drive away the ass of the fatherless,
they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4
They turn the needy out of the way:
the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
5
Behold, as wild asses in the desert,
go they forth to their work;
rising betimes for a prey:
the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
6
They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
7
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing,
that they have no covering in the cold.
8
They are wet with the showers of the mountains,
and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9
They pluck the fatherless from the breast,
and take a pledge of the poor.
1 0
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry; 1 1
which make oil within their walls,
and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
1 2
Men groan from out of the city,
and the soul of the wounded crieth out:
yet God layeth not folly to them.
1 1 6 9
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2 4
13
They are of those that rebel against the light;
they know not the ways thereof,
nor abide in the paths thereof.
14
The murderer rising with the light
killeth the poor and needy,
and in the night is as a thief.
1 5
The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me:
and disguiseth his face.
1 6
In the dark they dig through houses,
which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.
1 7
For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
1 8
He is swift as the waters;
their portion is cursed in the earth:
he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
19
Drought and heat consume the snow waters:
so doth the grave those which have sinned.
2 0
The womb shall forget him;
the worm shall feed sweetly on him;
he shall be no more remembered;
and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
2 1
He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
2 2
He draweth also the mighty with his power:
he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
23
Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.
2 4
They are exalted for a little while,
but are gone and brought low;
they are taken out of the way as all other,
and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
2 5
And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
1 1 7 0
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2 5
25
Bildad Denies That Man Can Be Justified with God 1
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2
Dominion and fear are with him;
he maketh peace in his high places.
3
Is there any number of his armies?
And upon whom doth not his light arise?
4
How then can man be justified with God?
Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
5
Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not;
yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
6
How much less man, that is a worm?
and the son of man, which is a worm?
26
Job Declares God’s Sovereignty
1
But Job answered and said,
2
How hast thou helped him that is without power?
How savest thou the arm that hath no strength?
3
How hast thou counseled him that hath no wisdom?
And how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?
4
To whom hast thou uttered words?
And whose spirit came from thee?
5
Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.
6
Hell is naked before him,
and destruction hath no covering.
7
He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
8
He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds;
and the cloud is not rent under them.
1 1 7 1
J o b
2 7
9
He holdeth back the face of his throne,
and spreadeth his cloud upon it.
1 0
He hath compassed the waters with bounds,
until the day and night come to an end.
1 1
The pillars of heaven tremble,
and are astonished at his reproof.
1 2
He divideth the sea with his power,
and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.
13
By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens;
his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
14
Lo, these are parts of his ways;
but how little a portion is heard of him?
But the thunder of his power who can understand?
27
Job Describes the Portion of the Wicked
1
Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2
As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; 3
all the while my breath is in me,
and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; 4
my lips shall not speak wickedness,
nor my tongue utter deceit.
5
God forbid that I should justify you:
till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6
My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7
Let mine enemy be as the wicked,
and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
8
For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
9
Will God hear his cry
when trouble cometh upon him?
1 1 7 2
J o b
2 8
1 0
Will he delight himself in the Almighty?
Will he always call upon God?
1 1
I will teach you by the hand of God:
that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
1 2
Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it;
why then are ye thus altogether vain?
13
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
14
If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
1 5
Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
1 6
Though he heap up silver as the dust,
and prepare raiment as the clay;
1 7
he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
1 8
He buildeth his house as a moth,
and as a booth that the keeper maketh.
19
The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.
2 0
Terrors take hold on him as waters,
a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
2 1
The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
2 2
For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
23
Men shall clap their hands at him,
and shall hiss him out of his place.
28
Man’s Quest for Wisdom
1
Surely there is a vein for the silver,
1 1 7 3
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2 8
and a place for gold where they fine it.
2
Iron is taken out of the earth,
and brass is molten out of the stone.
3
He setteth an end to darkness,
and searcheth out all perfection:
the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
4
The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant;
even the waters forgotten of the foot:
they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
5
As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
6
The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
7
There is a path which no fowl knoweth,
and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:
8
the lion’s whelps have not trodden it,
nor the fierce lion passed by it.
9
He putteth forth his hand upon the rock;
he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
1 0
He cutteth out rivers among the rocks;
and his eye seeth every precious thing.
1 1
He bindeth the floods from overflowing;
and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
1 2
But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13
Man knoweth not the price thereof;
neither is it found in the land of the living.
14
The depth saith, It is not in me:
and the sea saith, It is not with me.
1 5
It cannot be gotten for gold,
neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
1 6
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir,
with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
1 7
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it:
and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
1 1 74
J o b
29
1 8
No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it,
neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
2 0
Whence then cometh wisdom?
And where is the place of understanding?
2 1
seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living,
and kept close from the fowls of the air.
2 2
Destruction and death say,
We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
23
God understandeth the way thereof,
and he knoweth the place thereof.
2 4
For he looketh to the ends of the earth,
and seeth under the whole heaven;
2 5
to make the weight for the winds;
and he weigheth the waters by measure.
2 6
When he made a decree for the rain,
and a way for the lightning of the thunder;
2 7
then did he see it, and declare it;
he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
2 8
And unto man he said,
Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
29
Job Recalls His Former Glory
1
Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2
Oh that I were as in months past,
as in the days when God preserved me; 3
when his candle shined upon my head,
and when by his light I walked through darkness; 4
as I was in the days of my youth,
when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
1 1 7 5
J o b
29
5
when the Almighty was yet with me,
when my children were about me;
6
when I washed my steps with butter,
and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7
when I went out to the gate through the city,
when I prepared my seat in the street!
8
The young men saw me, and hid themselves:
and the aged arose, and stood up.
9
The princes refrained talking,
and laid their hand on their mouth.
1 0
The nobles held their peace,
and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
1 1
When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: 1 2
because I delivered the poor that cried,
and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
13
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me:
my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
1 5
I was eyes to the blind,
and feet was I to the lame.
1 6
I was a father to the poor:
and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
1 7
And I brake the jaws of the wicked,
and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
1 8
Then I said, I shall die in my nest,
and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19
My root was spread out by the waters,
and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
2 0
My glory was fresh in me,
and my bow was renewed in my hand.
2 1
Unto me men gave ear, and waited,
and kept silence at my counsel.
2 2
After my words they spake not again;
1 1 7 6
J o b
3 0
and my speech dropped upon them.
23
And they waited for me as for the rain;
and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
2 4
If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
2 5
I chose out their way, and sat chief,
and dwelt as a king in the army,
as one that comforteth the mourners.
30
Job Bewails His Present Affliction
1
But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
2
Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?
3
For want and famine they were solitary;
fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste: 4
who cut up mallows by the bushes,
and juniper roots for their meat.
5
They were driven forth from among men,
(they cried after them as after a thief,) 6
to dwell in the cliffs of the valleys,
in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.
7
Among the bushes they brayed;
under the nettles they were gathered together.
8
They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
9
And now am I their song,
yea, I am their byword.
1 0
They abhor me, they flee far from me,
and spare not to spit in my face.
1 1
Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me,
1 1 7 7
J o b
3 0
they have also let loose the bridle before me.
1 2
Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet,
and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.
13
They mar my path,
they set forward my calamity,
they have no helper.
14
They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters:
in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.
1 5
Terrors are turned upon me:
they pursue my soul as the wind:
and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.
1 6
And now my soul is poured out upon me;
the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
1 7
My bones are pierced in me in the night season:
and my sinews take no rest.
1 8
By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.
19
He hath cast me into the mire,
and I am become like dust and ashes.
2 0
I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me:
I stand up, and thou regardest me not.
2 1
Thou art become cruel to me:
with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.
2 2
Thou liftest me up to the wind;
thou causest me to ride upon it,
and dissolvest my substance.
23
For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.
2 4
Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.
2 5
Did not I weep for him that was in trouble?
Was not my soul grieved for the poor?
2 6
When I looked for good, then evil came unto me:
and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
1 1 7 8
J o b
3 1
2 7
My bowels boiled, and rested not:
the days of affliction prevented me.
2 8
I went mourning without the sun:
I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.
29
I am a brother to dragons,
and a companion to owls.
3 0
My skin is black upon me,
and my bones are burned with heat.
3 1
My harp also is turned to mourning,
and my organ into the voice of them that weep.
31
Job Asserts His Integrity
1
I made a covenant with mine eyes;
why then should I think upon a maid?
2
For what portion of God is there from above?
and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3
Is not destruction to the wicked?
and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
4
Doth not he see my ways,
and count all my steps?
5
If I have walked with vanity,
or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
6
let me be weighed in an even balance,
that God may know mine integrity.
7
If my step hath turned out of the way,
and mine heart walked after mine eyes,
and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;
8
then let me sow, and let another eat;
yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9
If mine heart have been deceived by a woman,
or if I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door; 1 0
then let my wife grind unto another,
1 1 7 9
J o b
3 1
and let others bow down upon her.
1 1
For this is a heinous crime;
yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
1 2
For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13
If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
14
what then shall I do when God riseth up?
And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
1 5
Did not he that made me in the womb make him?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?
1 6
If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
1 7
or have eaten my morsel myself alone,
and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
1 8
(for from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)
19
if I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
or any poor without covering;
2 0
if his loins have not blessed me,
and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; 2 1
if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:
2 2
then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23
For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
2 4
If I have made gold my hope,
or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; 2 5
if I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
2 6
if I beheld the sun when it shined,
or the moon walking in brightness;
2 7
and my heart hath been secretly enticed,
or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
1 1 8 0
J o b
3 1
2 8
this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
29
If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him;
3 0
(neither have I suffered my mouth to sin
by wishing a curse to his soul.)
3 1
If the men of my tabernacle said not,
Oh that we had of his flesh! We cannot be satisfied.
3 2
The stranger did not lodge in the street:
but I opened my doors to the traveler.
3 3
If I covered my transgressions as Adam,
by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
3 4
did I fear a great multitude,
or did the contempt of families terrify me,
that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
3 5
Oh that one would hear me!
Behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.
3 6
Surely I would take it upon my shoulder,
and bind it as a crown to me.
3 7
I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
3 8
If my land cry against me,
or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
39
if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: 40
let thistles grow instead of wheat,
and cockle instead of barley.
The words of Job are ended.
1 1 8 1
J o b
3 2
32
Elihu Justifies His Right to Answer Job
1
So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
2
Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.
3
Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
4
Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.
5
When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.
6
¶ And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young,
and ye are very old;
wherefore I was afraid,
and durst not show you mine opinion.
7
I said, Days should speak,
and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
8
But there is a spirit in man:
and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
9
Great men are not always wise:
neither do the aged understand judgment.
1 0
Therefore I said, Hearken to me;
I also will show mine opinion.
1 1
Behold, I waited for your words;
I gave ear to your reasons,
whilst ye searched out what to say.
1 2
Yea, I attended unto you,
and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:
13
lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom:
1 1 8 2
J o b
3 3
God thrusteth him down, not man.
14
Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.
1 5
They were amazed, they answered no more:
they left off speaking.
1 6
When I had waited, (for they spake not,
but stood still, and answered no more,)
1 7
I said, I will answer also my part;
I also will show mine opinion.
1 8
For I am full of matter;
the spirit within me constraineth me.
19
Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
2 0
I will speak, that I may be refreshed:
I will open my lips and answer.
2 1
Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person; neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
2 2
For I know not to give flattering titles;
in so doing my Maker would soon take me away.
33
Elihu Reproves Job
1
Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches,
and hearken to all my words.
2
Behold, now I have opened my mouth,
my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
3
My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
4
The Spirit of God hath made me,
and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
5
If thou canst answer me,
set thy words in order before me, stand up.
6
Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead:
1 1 8 3
J o b
3 3
I also am formed out of the clay.
7
Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,
neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.
8
Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing,
and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, 9
I am clean without transgression,
I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
1 0
Behold, he findeth occasions against me,
he counteth me for his enemy;
1 1
he putteth my feet in the stocks,
he marketh all my paths.
1 2
Behold, in this thou art not just:
I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.
13
Why dost thou strive against him?
for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
14
For God speaketh once,
yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
1 5
In a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falleth upon men,
in slumberings upon the bed;
1 6
then he openeth the ears of men,
and sealeth their instruction,
1 7
that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
1 8
He keepeth back his soul from the pit,
and his life from perishing by the sword.
19
He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,
and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:
2 0
so that his life abhorreth bread,
and his soul dainty meat.
2 1
His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.
2 2
Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave,
and his life to the destroyers.
23
If there be a messenger with him,
1 1 8 4
J o b
3 4
an interpreter, one among a thousand,
to show unto man his uprightness;
2 4
then he is gracious unto him, and saith,
Deliver him from going down to the pit:
I have found a ransom.
2 5
His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s:
he shall return to the days of his youth:
2 6
he shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy:
for he will render unto man his righteousness.
2 7
He looketh upon men, and if any say,
I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;
2 8
he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
29
Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, 3 0
to bring back his soul from the pit,
to be enlightened with the light of the living.
3 1
Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me:
hold thy peace, and I will speak.
3 2
If thou hast any thing to say, answer me:
speak, for I desire to justify thee.
3 3
If not, hearken unto me:
hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
34
Elihu Justifies God
1
Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
2
Hear my words, O ye wise men;
and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3
For the ear trieth words,
as the mouth tasteth meat.
4
Let us choose to us judgment:
1 1 8 5
J o b
3 4
let us know among ourselves what is good.
5
For Job hath said, I am righteous:
and God hath taken away my judgment.
6
Should I lie against my right?
My wound is incurable without transgression.
7
What man is like Job,
who drinketh up scorning like water?
8
which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9
For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing
that he should delight himself with God.
1 0
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
1 1
For the work of a man shall he render unto him,
and cause every man to find according to his ways.
1 2
Yea, surely God will not do wickedly,
neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13
Who hath given him a charge over the earth?
Or who hath disposed the whole world?
14
If he set his heart upon man,
if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; 1 5
all flesh shall perish together,
and man shall turn again unto dust.
1 6
If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
1 7
Shall even he that hateth right govern?
And wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
1 8
Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked?
and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
19
How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor?
For they all are the work of his hands.
2 0
In a moment shall they die,
and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away:
1 1 8 6
J o b
3 4
and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
2 1
For his eyes are upon the ways of man,
and he seeth all his goings.
2 2
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23
For he will not lay upon man more than right;
that he should enter into judgment with God.
2 4
He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
2 5
Therefore he knoweth their works,
and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
2 6
He striketh them as wicked men
in the open sight of others;
2 7
because they turned back from him,
and would not consider any of his ways:
2 8
so that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
29
When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him?
whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only: 3 0
that the hypocrite reign not,
lest the people be ensnared.
3 1
Surely it is meet to be said unto God,
I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
3 2
that which I see not teach thou me:
if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
3 3
Should it be according to thy mind? He will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.
3 4
Let men of understanding tell me,
and let a wise man hearken unto me.
3 5
Job hath spoken without knowledge,
and his words were without wisdom.
3 6
My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end, because of his answers for wicked men.
1 1 8 7
J o b
3 5
3 7
For he addeth rebellion unto his sin,
he clappeth his hands among us,
and multiplieth his words against God.
35
1
Elihu spake moreover, and said,
2
Thinkest thou this to be right,
that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?
3
For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee?
and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?
4
I will answer thee,
and thy companions with thee.
5
Look unto the heavens, and see;
and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
6
If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him?
Or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
7
If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?
Or what receiveth he of thine hand?
8
Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art;
and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.
9
By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry:
they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.
1 0
But none saith, Where is God my maker,
who giveth songs in the night;
1 1
who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
1 2
There they cry, but none giveth answer,
because of the pride of evil men.
13
Surely God will not hear vanity,
neither will the Almighty regard it.
14
Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him,
yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.
1 5
But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger;
1 1 8 8
J o b
3 6
yet he knoweth it not in great extremity: 1 6
therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain;
he multiplieth words without knowledge.
36
Elihu Extols God’s Greatness
1
Elihu also proceeded, and said,
2
Suffer me a little, and I will show thee
that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.
3
I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
and will ascribe rightousness to my Maker.
4
For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
5
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
6
He preserveth not the life of the wicked:
but giveth right to the poor.
7
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous:
but with kings are they on the throne;
yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
8
And if they be bound in fetters,
and be holden in cords of affliction;
9
then he showeth them their work,
and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
1 0
He openeth also their ear to discipline,
and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
1 1
If they obey and serve him,
they shall spend their days in prosperity,
and their years in pleasures.
1 2
But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
13
But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath:
they cry not when he bindeth them.
1 1 8 9
J o b
3 6
14
They die in youth,
and their life is among the unclean.
1 5
He delivereth the poor in his affliction,
and openeth their ears in oppression.
1 6
Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.
1 7
But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
1 8
Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.
19
Will he esteem thy riches?
No, not gold,
nor all the forces of strength.
2 0
Desire not the night,
when people are cut off in their place.
2 1
Take heed, regard not iniquity:
for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
2 2
Behold, God exalteth by his power:
who teacheth like him?
23
Who hath enjoined him his way?
Or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
2 4
Remember that thou magnify his work,
which men behold.
2 5
Every man may see it;
man may behold it afar off.
2 6
Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
2 7
For he maketh small the drops of water:
they pour down rain according to the vapor thereof; 2 8
which the clouds do drop
and distil upon man abundantly.
29
Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
3 0
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it,
1 1 9 0
J o b
3 7
and covereth the bottom of the sea.
3 1
For by them judgeth he the people;
he giveth meat in abundance.
3 2
With clouds he covereth the light;
and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.
3 3
The noise thereof showeth concerning it,
the cattle also concerning the vapor.
37
1
At this also my heart trembleth,
and is moved out of his place.
2
Hear attentively the noise of his voice,
and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
3
He directeth it under the whole heaven,
and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.
4
After it a voice roareth:
he thundereth with the voice of his excellency;
and he will not stay them
when his voice is heard.
5
God thundereth marvelously with his voice;
great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
6
For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain,
and to the great rain of his strength.
7
He sealeth up the hand of every man;
that all men may know his work.
8
Then the beasts go into dens,
and remain in their places.
9
Out of the south cometh the whirlwind:
and cold out of the north.
1 0
By the breath of God frost is given:
and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
1 1
Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud:
he scattereth his bright cloud:
1 1 9 1
J o b
3 8
1 2
and it is turned round about by his counsels:
that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them
upon the face of the world in the earth.
13
He causeth it to come, whether for correction,
or for his land, or for mercy.
14
Hearken unto this, O Job:
stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
1 5
Dost thou know when God disposed them,
and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
1 6
Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds,
the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
1 7
how thy garments are warm,
when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?
1 8
Hast thou with him spread out the sky,
which is strong, and as a molten looking-glass?
19
Teach us what we shall say unto him;
for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
2 0
Shall it be told him that I speak?
If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.
2 1
And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.
2 2
Fair weather cometh out of the north:
with God is terrible majesty.
23
Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
2 4
Men do therefore fear him:
he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.
38
The Lord Convinces Job of Ignorance
1
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2
Who is this that darkeneth counsel
1 1 9 2
J o b
3 8
by words without knowledge?
3
Gird up now thy loins like a man;
for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if thou hast understanding.
5
Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest?
Or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?
Or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7
when the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8
Or who shut up the sea with doors,
when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9
When I made the cloud the garment thereof,
and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,
1 0
and brake up for it my decreed place,
and set bars and doors,
1 1
and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
1 2
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days;
and caused the dayspring to know his place; 13
that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14
It is turned as clay to the seal;
and they stand as a garment.
1 5
And from the wicked their light is withholden,
and the high arm shall be broken.
1 6
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?
Or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
1 7
Have the gates of death been opened unto thee?
Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
1 8
Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth?
Declare if thou knowest it all.
19
Where is the way where light dwelleth?
And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
1 1 9 3
J o b
3 8
2 0
that thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
2 1
Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born?
or because the number of thy days is great?
2 2
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?
Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23
which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
2 4
By what way is the light parted,
which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
2 5
Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
2 6
to cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is;
on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; 2 7
to satisfy the desolate and waste ground;
and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
2 8
Hath the rain a father?
Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29
Out of whose womb came the ice?
And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
3 0
The waters are hid as with a stone,
and the face of the deep is frozen.
3 1
Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
3 2
Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season?
Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
3 3
Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?
Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
3 4
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds,
that abundance of waters may cover thee?
3 5
Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go,
and say unto thee, Here we are?
3 6
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts?
Or who hath given understanding to the heart?
3 7
Who can number the clouds in wisdom?
1 1 9 4
J o b
3 9
Or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
3 8
when the dust groweth into hardness,
and the clods cleave fast together?
39
Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion?
or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40
when they couch in their dens,
and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
4 1
Who provideth for the raven his food?
When his young ones cry unto God,
they wander for lack of meat.
39
1
Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth?
Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
2
Canst thou number the months that they fulfil?
Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
4
Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
5
Who hath sent out the wild ass free?
Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
6
whose house I have made the wilderness,
and the barren land his dwellings.
7
He scorneth the multitude of the city,
neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
8
The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
9
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee,
or abide by thy crib?
1 0
Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow?
Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
1 1
Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great?
1 1 9 5
J o b
3 9
Or wilt thou leave thy labor to him?
1 2
Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
13
Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks?
or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
14
which leaveth her eggs in the earth,
and warmeth them in the dust,
1 5
and forgetteth that the foot may crush them,
or that the wild beast may break them.
1 6
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers:
her labor is in vain without fear;
1 7
because God hath deprived her of wisdom,
neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
1 8
What time she lifteth up herself on high,
she scorneth the horse and his rider.
19
Hast thou given the horse strength?
Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
2 0
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?
The glory of his nostrils is terrible.
2 1
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
2 2
He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted;
neither turneth he back from the sword.
23
The quiver rattleth against him,
the glittering spear and the shield.
2 4
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
2 5
He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha!
And he smelleth the battle afar off,
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
2 6
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom,
and stretch her wings toward the south?
2 7
Doth the eagle mount up at thy command,
and make her nest on high?
1 1 9 6
J o b
4 0
2 8
She dwelleth and abideth on the rock,
upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
29
From thence she seeketh the prey,
and her eyes behold afar off.
3 0
Her young ones also suck up blood:
and where the slain are, there is she.
40
1
Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said,
2
Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him?
He that reproveth God, let him answer it.
3
¶ Then Job answered the Lord, and said,
4
Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee?
I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
5
Once have I spoken; but I will not answer:
yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
The Manifestations of God’s Power
6
¶ Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7
Gird up thy loins now like a man:
I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
8
Wilt thou also disannul my judgment?
Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
9
Hast thou an arm like God?
Or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
1 0
Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
1 1
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath:
and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
1 2
Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
13
Hide them in the dust together;
1 1 9 7
J o b
4 1
and bind their faces in secret.
14
Then will I also confess unto thee
that thine own right hand can save thee.
1 5
Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee;
he eateth grass as an ox.
1 6
Lo now, his strength is in his loins,
and his force is in the navel of his belly.
1 7
He moveth his tail like a cedar:
the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
1 8
His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
19
He is the chief of the ways of God:
he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
2 0
Surely the mountains bring him forth food,
where all the beasts of the field play.
2 1
He lieth under the shady trees,
in the covert of the reed, and fens.
2 2
The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
23
Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
2 4
He taketh it with his eyes:
his nose pierceth through snares.
41
1
Canst thou draw out leviathan with a hook?
or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
2
Canst thou put a hook into his nose?
or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
3
Will he make many supplications unto thee?
Will he speak soft words unto thee?
4
Will he make a covenant with thee?
Wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
5
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird?
1 1 9 8
J o b
4 1
Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
6
Shall the companions make a banquet of him?
Shall they part him among the merchants?
7
Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons?
or his head with fish spears?
8
Lay thine hand upon him,
remember the battle, do no more.
9
Behold, the hope of him is in vain:
shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
1 0
None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
1 1
Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him?
Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
1 2
I will not conceal his parts,
nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
13
Who can discover the face of his garment?
Or who can come to him with his double bridle?
14
Who can open the doors of his face?
His teeth are terrible round about.
1 5
His scales are his pride,
shut up together as with a close seal.
1 6
One is so near to another,
that no air can come between them.
1 7
They are joined one to another,
they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
1 8
By his sneezings a light doth shine,
and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19
Out of his mouth go burning lamps,
and sparks of fire leap out.
2 0
Out of his nostrils goeth smoke,
as out of a seething pot or caldron.
2 1
His breath kindleth coals,
and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
2 2
In his neck remaineth strength,
and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
1 1 9 9
J o b
4 2
23
The flakes of his flesh are joined together:
they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
2 4
His heart is as firm as a stone;
yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
2 5
When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
2 6
The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
2 7
He esteemeth iron as straw,
and brass as rotten wood.
2 8
The arrow cannot make him flee:
sling stones are turned with him into stubble.
29
Darts are counted as stubble:
he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
3 0
Sharp stones are under him:
he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
3 1
He maketh the deep to boil like a pot:
he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
3 2
He maketh a path to shine after him;
one would think the deep to be hoary.
3 3
Upon earth there is not his like,
who is made without fear.
3 4
He beholdeth all high things:
he is a king over all the children of pride.
42
Job’s Confession and Acceptance
1
Then Job answered the Lord, and said,
2
I know that thou canst do every thing,
and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3
Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge?
Therefore have I uttered that I understood not;
things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
1 2 0 0
J o b
4 2
4
Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak:
I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear;
but now mine eye seeth thee:
6
wherefore I abhor myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.
7
¶ And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8
Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
9
So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also accepted Job.
The Restoration of Job’s Prosperity
1 0
¶ And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
1 1
Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
1 2
So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13
He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14
And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch.
1 2 0 1
J o b
4 2
1 5
And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
1 6
After this lived Job a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.
1 7
So Job died, being old and full of days.
[Psalms]
1
The Righteous and the Ungodly
1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4
The ungodly are not so:
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
2
The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed
1
Why do the heathen rage,
and the people imagine a vain thing?
2
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, 3
Let us break their bands asunder,
and cast away their cords from us.
4
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh:
1 2 0 3
P s a l m s
3
the Lord shall have them in derision.
5
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,
and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6
Yet have I set my King
upon my holy hill of Zion.
7
I will declare the decree:
the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8
Ask of me,
and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
1 0
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings:
be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
1 1
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
1 2
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
and ye perish from the way,
when his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
3
A Morning Prayer of Trust in God
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1
L o r d , how are they increased that trouble me!
Many are they that rise up against me.
2
Many there be which say of my soul,
There is no help for him in God.
Selah.
3
But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me;
my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
1 2 0 4
P s a l m s
4
4
I cried unto the Lord with my voice,
and he heard me out of his holy hill.
Selah.
5
I laid me down and slept;
I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.
6
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
7
Arise, O Lord;
save me, O my God:
for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8
Salvation belongeth unto the Lord:
thy blessing is upon thy people.
Selah.
4
An Evening Prayer of Trust in God
To the chief Musician on Neginoth,
A Psalm of David.
1
Hear me when I call,
O God of my righteousness:
thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2
O ye sons of men,
how long will ye turn my glory into shame?
How long will ye love vanity,
and seek after leasing?
Selah.
3
But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself:
the Lord will hear when I call unto him.
4
Stand in awe, and sin not:
1 2 0 5
P s a l m s
5
commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
Selah.
5
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
and put your trust in the Lord.
6
There be many that say, Who will show us any good?
L o r d , lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7
Thou hast put gladness in my heart,
more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
5
A Prayer for Protection
To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth,
A Psalm of David.
1
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my meditation.
2
Hearken unto the voice of my cry,
my King, and my God:
for unto thee will I pray.
3
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight:
thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6
Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing:
the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7
But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy:
and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
1 2 0 6
P s a l m s
6
8
Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9
For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness;
their throat is an open sepulchre;
they flatter with their tongue.
1 0
Destroy thou them, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
1 1
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
1 2
For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous;
with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
6
A Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble
To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.
1
O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger,
neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2
Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
3
My soul is also sore vexed:
but thou, O Lord, how long?
4
Return, O Lord, deliver my soul:
oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.
5
For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
6
I am weary with my groaning;
all the night make I my bed to swim;
1 2 0 7
P s a l m s
7
I water my couch with my tears.
7
Mine eye is consumed because of grief;
it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
8
Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity;
for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9
The Lord hath heard my supplication;
the Lord will receive my prayer.
1 0
Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed:
let them return and be ashamed suddenly.
7
A Prayer for Vindication
Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.
1
O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust:
save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2
lest he tear my soul like a lion,
rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3
O Lord my God, if I have done this;
if there be iniquity in my hands;
4
if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy;) 5
let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it;
yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth,
and lay mine honor in the dust.
Selah.
6
Arise, O Lord, in thine anger,
lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
7
So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
8
The Lord shall judge the people:
1 2 0 8
P s a l m s
8
judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.
9
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just:
for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
1 0
My defense is of God,
which saveth the upright in heart.
1 1
God judgeth the righteous,
and God is angry with the wicked every day.
1 2
If he turn not, he will whet his sword;
he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13
He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
14
Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,
and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
1 5
He made a pit, and digged it,
and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
1 6
His mischief shall return upon his own head,
and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
1 7
I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.
8
God’s Glory and Man’s Honor
To the chief Musician upon Gittith,
A Psalm of David.
1
O Lord our Lord,
how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength
because of thine enemies,
1 2 0 9
P s a l m s
9
that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4
what is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.
6
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7
all sheep and oxen,
yea, and the beasts of the field;
8
the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,
and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9
O Lord our Lord,
how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
9
Thanksgiving for God’s Justice
To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben,
A Psalm of David.
1
I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works.
2
I will be glad and rejoice in thee:
I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High.
3
When mine enemies are turned back,
they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4
For thou hast maintained my right and my cause;
thou satest in the throne judging right.
5
Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6
O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities;
1 2 1 0
P s a l m s
9
their memorial is perished with them.
7
But the Lord shall endure for ever:
he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8
And he shall judge the world in righteousness,
he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
1 0
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
1 1
Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
1 2
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
13
Have mercy upon me, O Lord;
consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: 14
that I may show forth all thy praise
in the gates of the daughter of Zion:
I will rejoice in thy salvation.
1 5
The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
1 6
The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Higgaion. Selah.
1 7
The wicked shall be turned into hell,
and all the nations that forget God.
1 8
For the needy shall not always be forgotten:
the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19
Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail:
let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
2 0
Put them in fear, O Lord:
that the nations may know themselves to be but men.
Selah.
1 2 1 1
P s a l m s
1 0
10
A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked
1
Why standest thou afar off, O Lord ?
Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
2
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3
For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire,
and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.
4
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:
God is not in all his thoughts.
5
His ways are always grievous;
thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
6
He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
7
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
8
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
9
He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den:
he lieth in wait to catch the poor:
he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
1 0
He croucheth, and humbleth himself,
that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
1 1
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten:
he hideth his face; he will never see it.
1 2
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand:
forget not the humble.
13
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God?
He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite,
1 2 1 2
P s a l m s
1 1
to requite it with thy hand:
the poor committeth himself unto thee;
thou art the helper of the fatherless.
1 5
Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man:
seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
1 6
The Lord is King for ever and ever:
the heathen are perished out of his land.
1 7
L o r d , thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: 1 8
to judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
11
The Refuge of the Upright
To the chief Musician,
A Psalm of David.
1
In the Lord put I my trust:
how say ye to my soul,
Flee as a bird to your mountain?
2
For, lo, the wicked bend their bow,
they make ready their arrow upon the string,
that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
3
If the foundations be destroyed,
what can the righteous do?
4
The Lord is in his holy temple,
the Lord’s throne is in heaven:
his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
5
The Lord trieth the righteous:
but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
6
Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
7
For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness;
1 2 1 3
P s a l m s
1 2
his countenance doth behold the upright.
12
A Prayer for Help against the Wicked
To the chief Musician upon Sheminith,
A Psalm of David.
1
Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth;
for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
2
They speak vanity every one with his neighbor:
with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
3
The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips,
and the tongue that speaketh proud things: 4
who have said, With our tongue will we prevail;
our lips are our own: who is lord over us?